


Child of the Feathered Serpent

by CorneredTiger9407



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Angst, But not the traditional pet, F/F, I want a dragon, Inspired by 5x05 and 5X06, Kara and Lena have things to work through, Lena gets a pet, Slow Burn, What if the medallion wasn't the only thing that got brought back, eventual supercorp
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-06
Updated: 2020-02-28
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:00:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21692647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CorneredTiger9407/pseuds/CorneredTiger9407
Summary: While searching for the medallion of Acrata, Lena acquires several artifacts on her excursions. Years later Lena finds an egg inside one and accidentally hatches it.The problem now, how do you hide a creature that could possibly grow to be the size of a plane?
Relationships: Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Comments: 80
Kudos: 381





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Look at me avoiding my other WIP. So I couldn't stop thinking about Lena and the creature she used in 5X05 to test Malefic's Q-waves...so Lena gets to have a dragon.
> 
> I also apologize for any mistakes or whatnot. I typed this up in a few hours and just posted it, proofreading be damned.
> 
> I will have a slowburn of Kara and Lena. Canon divergent where they work out their problems with Kara being supergirl before Lena snaps holding in all her hurt.

* * *

Lena ran a finger over the familiar words, the pages crinkled with use; her other hand idly playing with the medallion around her neck.

“You were right all along mother.” Lena whispered. Sighing she closed the book and returned it to the box it’s been kept in for years, pausing for a moment before removing the medallion and placing it on top and closing the box.

Lena gripped the box and stood, making her way to one of the extra rooms in her apartment. Flipping the light on, Lena stepped into the room, setting the box down on the desk to her right. Carefully she ran her hand along the wall to her left, pausing as she found the glass like surface hidden on the wall. Seconds later, a beep echoed into the room and the wall receded, revealing the lead lined safe hidden in the wall.

Lena placed her hand on another panel, the scanner taking a small skin sample and reading her fingerprint before turning green, allowing Lena to open the heavy door. Lena stepped back, grabbing the box holding her mother’s book and the medallion from the desk and making her way back to the safe.

“I found it mother. I wasn’t able to use it to save Lex, but one day it may be of use.” Lena said, staring down at the box. With a deep breath, she slid the box onto a shelf.

Mentally taking stock of the artifacts in the safe, Lena kneeled down, drawn to one of the containers that held artifacts from one of her excursions. Pulling it from it’s hiding place, Lena closed the safe and returned the room back to its original state, the wall sliding into place seamlessly.

Lena padded down the hall and back to the couch, setting the storage container on the table in front of her as she sat down. Discarding the top to the side, Lena pulled out several artifacts, the smooth jade and limestone artworks were laid out across the table. Coming to the last piece, a painted ceramic vase, Lena paused, staring at it and running her hand over the pictures. The faded pictures were familiar. Variations of the same stories were told in every culture. The pictures depicting beasts flying above, warriors fighting mythological creatures, and what seemed to be humans with supernatural abilities.

Along the top of the vase were several words painted in the Mayan language, the hieroglyphic style making the translation hard for Lena. After nearly twenty minutes, Lena writes down the words on a nearby notebook: _Paal tu Quetzalcóatl,_ or Child of the Feathered Serpent.

Under the words was a story of a battle, of warriors fighting creatures on land and in the sky. As the battle rages, the warriors fall and still the creatures come until a new warrior steps forward with their arms outstretched. The creatures flee as the warriors fight back, led by the supernatural being as it battles the creatures in the sky, eventually leading to the warrior celebrating their victory. Several pictures show the warriors feasting, the mysterious being standing off to the side, holding a dark object.

Lena sets the vase back down on the table, deciding to keep it out. Lena places the other artifacts back into the container, intending to take it to the museum in the morning. With a click, Lena closes the lid on the container and stands, picking the plastic box up and goes to move it near the door.

The sound of ceramic shattering causes Lena to nearly drop the box, moving quickly to set it next to the bar out of the way. Lena turns back to her living room, her eyes drawn to the pile of ceramic next to the table, her eyebrows scrunching up in confusion.

Moving closer and bending down, Lena focuses on the black object rolling side to side in the middle of broken ceramic pieces. Picking it up, Lena stands and makes her towards the hallway, stepping over pieces of the shattered vase as she inspects the egg-shaped object. Stepping into her home office and miniature laboratory, Lena turns on the light at her desk and sets the object down.

“Hope.”

“Yes Ms. Luthor?” The disembodied voice fills the room, always at the ready.

“Begin an audio recording file titled: _Paal tu Quetzalcóatl”_ Lena responds and begins her narrative as she pulls tools out of her desk, lining them up along the side for easy access.

“Object was hidden inside a ceramic vase for roughly 2,000 years. It is egg shaped, black in color with small white flecks along the entire shell, roughly 508 millimeters in diameter and 254 millimeters in length. Object is surprisingly warm and dense, showing no signs of harm from falling.”

Lena moves the light over her desk closer, gasping in surprise.

“Upon further inspection with a light source, the object seems to be an egg of some type, the shell becoming slightly transparent under close, bright lighting. Small veins can be seen along the edge. Further testing required to see what was inside. Hope, end recording.”

“Yes, Ms. Luthor.”

Lena stood from the desk, picking the egg up and bringing it with her out of the office. Heading straight for the door, Lena opened her purse and carefully placed the egg inside. Holding it close to her side, Lena left the apartment, deciding to go straight to her main lab to get answers.

~-~-~~-~-~~-~-~~-~-~

The beep of the x-ray machine signaled the end of the process and Lena stepped out from behind the protective screen and moved the machine back against the wall out of the way. On her lab table sat the egg, still warm to the touch as Lena ran her hand across the smooth surface.

“Ms. Luthor, the images are ready for viewing.” Hope’s voice startling Lena from her thoughts.

“Thank you, Hope. Pull them up please.”

Lena turned to look at the monitor, gasping as she looked at the skeletal structure inside.

“Hope, continue audio recording for _Paal tu Quetzalcóatl.”_ Lena waited a moment for confirmation before speaking.

“X-ray images show a bird like skeletal system inside the egg, unfamiliar with any creature I know of. Hope, can you scan the egg and determine its species?”

“Yes, Ms. Luthor. Scanning now.” Lena watched as the egg was bathed in a red light followed by Hope’s voice. “Scan complete. Species unknown. Creature is of the Reptilian Class and closely related to the Genus Draco. While the species is not in any database, my scans depict that the vital signs are stable.”

Lena felt her body stiffen and her head whip to the side, staring at the hologram of Hope on her desk.

“Hope, what do you mean vital signs are stable?”

“The creature inside the egg seems to be full term. All internal organs are proportionate to the body and the blood flow is not hindered. While the creature seems ready to hatch, it has not and seems to be in stasis. Further research with be required to hatch the creature without damage.”

“Hope, you’re telling me that this creature is alive after 2,000 years. Cross reference everything we have on it with known alien species.”

Lena waited as Hope did as she asked. Stepping closer Lena picked the egg up and brought it close to her face, inspecting the shell carefully.

“Ms. Luthor, I have searched the alien database of both the DEO and of Lex Luthor’s file and found no match. How would you like to proceed?”

Lena wracked her brain for an answer

“For now, I will put the egg in a containment box for further testing. Until we learn what it is, I don’t want to chance it hatching and escaping. Hope, what all can you tell me about it from your scan.”

Lena set the egg back down as she went to prepare a containment box, listening to Hope’s breakdown.

“Creature is 190 millimeters long with leather like scales, unable to determine color. Unknown wingspan. Unknown internal organs in the neck and chest area. All other organs seem fully formed along with a female reproductive system.”

Lena paused as she took in what little Hope could tell her. Sighing she walked back to the egg and picked it up, placing it on the bedding inside the containment box.

“Guess I’ll have to name you something for now. How about something to match your shell? Asteria is the Greek goddess of nocturnal oracles and the stars. I think that will be perfect. Asteria.”

Lena reached behind the box, lifting the lid to close it when she saw it.

In the containment box in front of her, the egg shifted.

“Hope, scan the egg again.”

“Yes, Ms. Luthor.” Lena stood frozen, staring down at the egg as it twitched slightly. “The creature inside has awoken from stasis. It seems to be trying to hatch, Ms. Luthor.”

Lena’s eyes widened as she fought the urge to step back. Keeping a tight hold on the lid, Lena stared at the egg in cautious anticipation, flinching lightly as the first crack in the egg appeared.

Minutes went by and Lena had never felt so tense in her life as she listened to the egg crack inside the containment box, the shell seemingly to be difficult to get through. With a loud crack, the first piece of the shell fell to the side, allowing a murky colored fluid to ooze out as the creature continued to shift around, trying to escape the confines of the shell.

After the first piece fell, it was only a matter of moments before Lena was able to watch more of the egg fall away and a small nose poke out, followed quickly by a sleek black body as it tumbled out of the egg and on its back.

Lena lifted the lid of the containment box, ready to close the creature in quickly if needed. Lena watched as the creature flailed around before finally getting purchase on the bedding and flipping over, shaking itself and stretching. Lena eyed the black creature warily as it looked around before shakily standing and turning. Lena watched as the creature froze, catching sight of Lena staring at it from the outside of the box, the bright purple eyes blinking slowly.

Lena’s grip on the lid tightened as she stared at the creature, not quite sure of its threat level. They both stood there for several moments staring before the creature broke first. Closing its eyes and scrunching it’s face, it let out a trilling noise and stumbled forward towards Lena, intent on climbing out of the box.

Lena lowered the lid, sensing no danger from the tiny creature. Instead she lowered her hand inside the box, gasping as the creature pounced forward and rubbed against her hand, trilling again and attempting to climb onto the offered hand.

Lena allowed it, picking up the creature and bringing it closer for inspection. She ran a finger over the creature’s spine, taking in the smooth scales and the dull spikes running down its back and tail. Lena found herself smiling as she looked at the small creature. Bringing it closer to her body to hold easier, Lena found herself watching with wonder as it began to sniff at her shirt and stretching up to sniff at her neck. Settling back down the creature stared past Lena for a moment before sneezing, a small puff of flame escaping its mouth.

Lena felt her mouth drop in shock. “Hope, run a comparison on mythological creatures.”

“Yes, Ms. Luthor.”

Lena stepped back to the table and set the creature down, allowing it to explore the tabletop as it tried to learn how to properly walk.

“Ms. Luthor, I have finished my comparison. With all recorded mythology, one creature matched with a 98% likeness. In mythology there are several depictions of dragons dating back to the 8th century BC, roughly 65,000 years ago. Would you like more information on them?”

Lena stared at the small creature currently focused on its tail swishing back and forth. “No, Hope. That’s all. Stop recording and encrypt the file and all information regarding _Paal tu Quetzalcóatl.”_

Lena found herself wanting to laugh as she watched the scene in front of her. Instead she sighed and leaned against the table.

“Of course, you would be a dragon. After 2,000 years, why now? Why me?” Lena lay her hand down on the table, smiling as the dragon stumbled back to her, laying its head in the palm of her hand.

Under the light, Lena could see the black scales easier, noticing an iridescent glow as the dragon shifted.

“I guess calling you Asteria is fitting.” Lena mumbled.

Hearing its name, Asteria looked up at Lena and trilled, bouncing around on the table in front of Lena.

Lena laughed as she picked up the dragon, smiling down as it cuddled into her chest. “You’re going to be a handful aren’t you?”

Asteria looked up at Lena and closed her eyes, the muscles pulling at the sides of her face in what Lena could only describe as a smile.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Lena held the dragon closer, running one hand down the side of her body, smiling as she felt a low rumble come from the dragon.

Deciding to just throw caution to the wind, Lena grabbed her purse and walked out of her lab, driving back to her apartment and allowing her dragon to explore it’s home. Lena watched as Asteria flapped her wings and pounced at the shadows on the floor. Shaking her head, she thought to herself _“You couldn’t just get a cat, or a dog could you?”_

Now Lena just had to figure out how to hide a dragon in National City.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH GOD. So ANGST is going to be heavy. Like, I pulled Lena's emotional explosion from the fortress and used it. I cut some little things and made it work, but still. That hurt writing it.

* * *

The sound of fabric ripping pulled Lena from sleep. Rolling to her side she sighed as she saw stuffing spread across her bed.

“Asteria, what have you torn up now?” She mumbled. The trilling sounds of her dragon brought Lena’s attention to the pillow next to her as it shifted slightly.

Throwing the covers back, Lena stood and grabbed the trash can near the bed, cleaning up the fluffy pieces strewn across the comforter. Setting the trash can down, Lena reached for the pillow, lifting up the side with a hole in it. Inside, Lena could make out two purple eyes slowly blinking at her.

“Hey troublemaker. I thought we were past this phase. I let you build a nest in each room so you wouldn’t destroy things anymore, my pillows included. Why the sudden destruction?”

Lena held the pillow open as Asteria crawled out slowly, looking ashamed at being caught, a low grumble accompanying the expression. Lena picked up her little dragon, cradling her close as they sat on the bed.

“It’s been three months since you’ve destroyed anything, at least on purpose. What’s got you acting out?” Lena asked.

During the first few weeks of having Asteria, Lena was thoroughly surprised to learn that her dragon was highly intelligent. Asteria could somewhat hold a conversation with Lena through body language, and recently, connecting her mind with Lena’s. Asteria was still learning, but she could show Lena things, simple memories or pictures of what she wanted to convey. Lena had no doubt Asteria would be able to converse as she grew older.

Asteria looked back at the pillow she had destroyed then looked up at Lena and started sniffing, crawling half onto Lena as she sniffed at her neck and face. Falling back down to lay on Lena’s arms, Asteria stared at Lena, waiting for her to understand.

“Smell? You destroyed it because of its smell?” Lena felt her head turn slightly, confused as to Asteria’s thought process.

Huffing, Asteria hopped out of Lena’s arms and returned to the pillow sniffing at it. Turning back to Lena, she walked over and sniffed Lena and trilled, nudging at Lena’s leg. Returning back to the pillow, Asteria curled up on it and trilled again, wiggling slightly.

“Oh.” Lena whispered into the room “The pillow smells like me?”

Asteria nodded and burrowed further into the pillow, a low rumble emerging from her chest.

Lena sighed as she stood, returning to her side of the bed to lay down.

“My darling, you do realize I’m laying right next to you. Next time cuddle up with me instead of destroying the pillow.” Lena lay back under the covers, reaching out to stroke Asteria.

Feeling Asteria bump her head to Lena’s hand, Lena opened her mind to her dragon.

She saw herself sitting up in bed, grumbling about being woken up as she answered her phone, her hair in a disarray as she ran her hand across her face.

Lena chuckled and closed her mind off. Reaching over, she picked up Asteria and brought her close, kissing her on the head.

“I get annoyed at being woken up because of work or for things that don’t really require my attention. I’ll never be annoyed if you wake me up for cuddles.”

Asteria sighed as she snuggled down into Lena’s neck, content to sleep against Lena.

With a sigh of her own Lena relaxed back into bed, thankful she still had about five hours left before work.

~~~~~~~~

Lena sat in her office at L-Corp finishing up some paperwork on the month’s budget when the phone on her desk beeped and her assistant’s voice rang out.

“Ms. Luthor, there is a Kara Danvers here to see you.”

Lena felt her heart rate spike, Asteria’s head rising from her nest in the corner in response to Lena’s internal panic. Thankfully, Lena had perfected Asteria’s image inducer in her white spiked collar allowing her to look like a black, Great Dane puppy.

“Let her in.” Lena answered back, saving the report on her computer.

Lena’s office door opened and despite the conflicting feelings she had about Kara, she felt a smile tug at her face.

“Kara, what brings you by?” Lena stood and walked around her desk to lean on the front of it, crossing her arms across her chest to stop herself from hugging Kara.

Kara paused as she took in Lena’s posture. Coming to a stop in front of the CEO, Kara felt her eyes drift to the floor and her hands come to nervously twist in front of her.

“I was hoping we could talk, maybe grab a coffee? I know things haven’t been good between us since the Pulitzer awards ceremony.” Kara glanced back up to Lena, her blue eyes hopeful.

Lena straightened slightly, thinking about her reply carefully. She was still hurt that Kara lied to her for so long. She was grieving for having had killed her brother. She was angry and hated feeling like she was made a fool of. She knew they would have to talk. Lena needed to tell Kara the truth, tell her that she knew before the Pulitzer awards. Lena was struggling with her feelings because she had every intention of tearing Kara down for never trusting her enough to tell her the truth, only for Kara to finally expose herself and let her in.

Lena glanced down for a moment, pulling strength from deep inside. “I’m not ready to talk about it yet, Kara.” Lena avoided looking at Kara. Avoided looking at the pain flashing across her friend’s face. “I don’t know when I will be, but right now isn’t the time. I know it’s been months, but there’s so much you don’t know and so many emotions and feeling I’m trying to make sense of, you have to understand that.” Lena fought to keep her voice steady, needing to be strong in her decision.

Kara nodded in lieu of saying anything. Her shoulders drooped as she gave Lena a half smile, turning back to leave. Halfway to the doors, Lena’s voice stopped her.

“Kara,” Lena paused, waiting for Kara to turn back. “I’m not opposed to us getting lunch every now and then. Start slow?”

Kara’s entire body seemed to glow as her face split in a smile. “Absolutely! I’ll text you later about it?”

Lena nodded and straightened up, dropping her arms as she stepped back around her desk.

Kara turned to leave, only to freeze as she noticed the new addition to Lena’s office.

“Hey, Lena? When did you get a dog?” Kara’s voice was higher than normal, causing Lena to glance back to her, noticing Kara looking carefully at Asteria.

“Oh, a few months ago. That’s Asteria. She was unexpected but we bonded quickly, and I can’t imagine not having her around.”

Knowing she was being talked about, Asteria made her way over to Lena where she was picked up and sat down in Lena’s lap.

Kara continued to stare at the creature in Lena’s lap, seeming to sense that something was off. Asteria sat completely still, her body stiff in a slightly protective pose and her gaze never wavering from Kara.

Nearly a minute went by before Kara stepped back towards the door, her eyes flicking back to Lena.

“Congratulations on the puppy. I’ll talk to you later.” And with that, Kara was gone, leaving Lena confused.

Lifting Asteria up, Lena brought her to eye level.

“What was that between you two? You haven’t had a problem with anyone else.”

Asteria leaned forward and Lena allowed the connection. She saw herself curled up on her couch, a picture frame in one hand and a scotch glass in the other. She could see the tear tracks glistening on her face from where Asteria sat on the arm of the couch. After a few seconds Lena watched herself throw the picture to the side, hearing the frame crack as it clattered to the coffee table. She knocked back the scotch and stood, walking into the kitchen and grabbing the bottle to pour herself more.

Lena closed the connection, putting Asteria back in her lap and screwed her eyes shut, fighting against the emotions welling up. Lena felt Asteria nudge against her, a whine filling the silence.

Lena leaned her head back and opened her eyes, staring at the ceiling for a moment.

“She broke my heart, Asteria, but that’s no reason to be hostile. I want to forgive her because rationally, I know she lied to me not out of distrust, but out of fear. It still hurts though and I’m working through that. Kara doesn’t need to be suspicious of you. If she, or anyone at the DEO knew you existed, I’m afraid they would try to take you from me. I’m already grieving over my brother, or the memory of who he used to be, I can’t handle losing you as well.”

Lena glanced down to Asteria, running her hand down her dragon’s body.

“Things will get better, little one. It just takes time.”

~~~~~~~~

In the week leading up to their lunch, Lena tried to make sense of what she wanted to tell Kara, of what she could trust Kara to know. The sensible option was to just start slow, tell Kara how she felt being lied to by everyone for years.

That would have been best, if only it had worked out that way.

Lena met Kara at a sushi restaurant near L-Corp, rushing in after being delayed by Asteria. Her dragon wasn’t happy at being left behind and Lena was almost scared to see what would be destroyed when she returned.

The bell above the door signaled Lena’s arrival and Lena was quickly brought to a back room where Kara sat looking over a menu. Thanking the waitress, Lena allowed the door to close and leave them in privacy. Everything they would need they would request through the tablet on the end of the table, until they said otherwise, they would be left alone.

Kara folded the menu back down and smiled up at Lena as she sat down across the table.

“I’m glad you made it.” Kara said, folding her hands together on top of the table.

“Me too, sorry for running late.” Lena shuffled the menu and utensils around on the table, needing something to do with her hands.

“Please, I’m used to running late or having to cancel for some emergency. You came, that’s all that matters.”

Lena felt a small spike of anxiety, knowing Kara was trying to bring up being Supergirl casually. Pushing her inner turmoil to the side, Lena smiled lightly, years of practice making it easy.

“Have you figured out what you want to order yet?”

Kara smiled back at Lena and nodded, reaching for the tablet.

Lunch passed by easily and Lena felt herself relaxing into Kara’s charm, the ball of anxiety being ignored for the moment. Lena sighed in content as she finished the last of her bento box, the chopsticks clicking together as she dropped them to the side.

“Oh god, I can’t remember the last time I ate that good. I’ve gotten complacent with salads and pre-made meals.”

Kara laughed as she set aside her own chopsticks, her boxes and plates being stacked nicely to the side as she finished each one.

“I actually haven’t either. I’ve been eating frozen pizzas because they’re easy. Alex finally perfected the high calorie power bars, so I’ve mostly been living off them. I think subconsciously I was missing my friend.”

Lena felt the smile on her face drop some at Kara’s words.

“At least you have Alex to lean on.” Lena muttered, grabbing the straw in her drink and swirling it around.

“What’s that supposed to mean? That I don’t need you around?” Kara’s voice turned serious, her posture straightening.

Lena sighed as she realized they were going to talk now. “That’s not what I meant, Kara. I just meant that you are lucky to have a sibling that supports you and you can lean on.” Lena’s tone took on a hard edge as she pulled forward her CEO persona.

“That’s still not an answer, Lena. You’re deflecting and hiding away again. What’s really the reason behind that comment?”

Lena took a deep breath and steeled her gaze onto Kara only to be met with hard blue eyes, completely unwavering. Lena realized that she was looking at Supergirl now, not Kara Danvers.

“Fine, you want to get into it, want to shrink me right here? I’m saying you’re lucky to have someone to go to so you can talk about your feelings and to have someone care what you think. Ever since I learned the truth, I have had nobody. I can’t talk to Alex or you about how I’m feeling. I don’t have anyone in my corner. Everyone I thought I was friends with, was laughing at my ignorance behind my back.” Lena grabbed her purse, pulling out a few bills and throwing them onto the table.

“So, yes, Kara, I am deflecting and hiding away. It’s what I do best. I’m angry because I’ve given you everything, trusted you with my secrets and yet you kept yours. Now? I’m deflecting because you don’t get to know my secrets anymore, only friends do, and I’m fresh out of those. I don’t even have a brother anymore because I wanted to protect you. I only have myself now.”

Lena bunched up the napkin she had in her lap and tossed it onto the table, her chair scraping as she stood. She glanced up long enough to see the hurt on Kara’s face, the tears unshed in her eyes.

“Thanks for lunch.” Lena strode out of the room, allowing the door to slam behind her. She could feel the anger simmering at the surface and her eyes burned as she forced herself not to tear up.

The walk back to her office was quick, whether it was her face or the way she walked, people moved out of her way and Lena found herself in the elevator at L-Corp in a matter of minutes. The doors opened to her floor and Lena strode out, the clicking of her heels giving her assist a small warning.

Her stride never faltered as Lena walked past her assistant’s desk, a quick order to hold all calls and allow no visitors was the only thing said as Lena threw open the door to her office and stepped in, closing it harshly behind her.

The skittering of nails on the floor alerted Lena to Asteria running for her, excited for Lena’s return. The little dragon came to a stop in front of Lena, taking in her posture and watering eyes.

Asteria slinked forward, whining as she butted her head against Lena’s leg, her question obvious.

“I’m fine, darling. Just an argument. How about we go home? I left a few chicken legs out to cook for you tonight.” Lena bent down to pick up her dragon and made her way to her desk, gathering up everything she needed to work from home.

Leaving back through the door she had just came in, Lena gave her assistant a new order to cancel any meeting for the rest of the day and made her way back down the elevator. Lena felt a knot form in her throat as Asteria shifted in her arms enough to lay her head on Lena’s shoulder near her neck, silently comforting her.

With a newfound rush to get home before she broke down, Lena nearly ran to her car when the doors opened. Throwing all her things in the car and buckling Asteria into her own protective car seat, Lena peeled out of the garage, possibly running a stop sign in her haste.

Lena couldn’t remember getting home after she left L-Corp, the drive blurring together. All she knew is she now stood in her apartment and her face felt wet. She held Asteria for another moment before reaching up and turning off her image inducer and setting her down, letting her be free in the apartment.

Remembering her promise, Lena went about making food for Asteria, enjoying how the task gave her something to focus on. The real problem came as Lena sat the food down for Asteria to eat and she caught her dragon sitting next to her, her face sad as she came closer, bumping into Lena’s leg again and whining.

Lena felt a tear escape at the comfort. Stepping away from Asteria, Lena turned, grabbing the handle of a cabinet and ripping the door open. Her hand closed around the first bottle of Scotch she could grab. Unscrewing the top, Lena took a swallow, not bothering to get a glass.

Needing to focus herself, Lena shuffled into her home office and flicked on the lights, heading straight for her workspace.

“Hope, turn on my classical music playlist.”

Lena felt a small relief as music flowed through the hidden speakers in her office. Grabbing her tools from the drawers, Lena sat in her chair and reviewed the project in front of her, focusing all her attention on it.

Hours went by and Lena had not moved from her place in her office. She had made progress working on a toy for Asteria. She was having problems with needing to keep it indestructible to a dragon’s chewing, but still be able to fly so Asteria could have practice with her wings.

With a frustrated huff, Lena tossed the screwdriver down she was using and reached for the scotch sitting beside her. Taking another swallow, Lena sat back and stared at the pile of parts in front of her.

“Ms. Luthor, there is someone at the front door. Should I bring up the security feed?”

Lena jumped slightly at Hope’s voice cutting through the background music. Through the silence now in her apartment, Lena could hear a persistent knock coming from her door.

Sighing, Lena screwed the top back on the bottle and stood. “No need, Hope. There’s only one person who knocks like that.”

Glancing over to the corner of the room, Lena pointed at Asteria in her nest, the chicken leg bone sitting half chewed beside her. “Stay here. Do you understand, Asteria?”

Asteria nodded sensing the seriousness coming from Lena.

The knocking continued and brought Lena back to the task at hand. Softly padding through the apartment, Lena grabbed the handle to her front door and jerked it open, keeping a hand on the door.

“What do you want, Kara?”

Kara stood in front of Lena; her face mildly shocked at the door opening. Gathering herself she stepped forward, her eyebrows crinkling as she realized Lena wasn’t allowing her in.

“I needed to talk to you.”

Lena scoffed, shifting in the doorway.

“We already talked today. I’d rather not get into it again right now. Now, if that’s all, you can leave, Kara.”

Kara’s face hardened slightly, and she stepped forward again, coming closer to Lena.

“No, you talked. Now it’s my turn.” Kara stepped past Lena, forcing her way into the apartment.

With a huff, Lena shut the door and turned back to Kara, leaning against the bar and crossing her arms.

“Fine, say what you want to then leave.”

Kara turned and paced in front of Lena for a moment, stopping abruptly and throwing her arms up.

“I don’t know how to fix this. You said you were hurt, and you think we were all making fun of you for being the only one not to know, but that’s not true. Hell, Alex told me to tell you, told me to trust you with my secret, and I wanted to. I trusted you with every fiber of my soul.

“I was scared. The longer I waited to tell you, the worse I knew it was going to be. It’s not like I have a lot of experience telling people who I am. I didn’t tell you because I thought if I could keep you as a friend as Kara, then that would be enough. With you, I grew to love being able to escape being Supergirl. I could just continue to be Kara. I’m sorry you feel like I didn’t trust you, and that we all were keeping it from you.

“To be fair though, I’m hurt that you shut me out. You are my friend, Lena. You should be able to talk to me about how you’re feeling and how this affects you.

“It’s not fair that I took your brother from you either. I’m sorry, but it was a choice I had to make for the greater good. I know you’re grieving, and I know you’re hurt about all of it, but don’t shut me out. If you want to yell at me and throw things, do it. I deserve it, but don’t think you get to be the only one affected.”

Kara stopped her tirade, her face red as she breathed heavily, staring at Lena and waiting for a response.

Lena blinked back tears and turned away from Kara, going to get a glass and pour some scotch, needing something to do with herself while she gathered her thoughts.

“I get to be angry at you. Because for weeks I waited. I waited for you to tell me the truth. When you finally told me, and you cried like you were so broken up about it, I felt anger. I had stayed silent for weeks and wept bitter tears over the fact that my best friend was lying to me. I could see it every time we talked.”

Kara took in a sharp breath, stepping forward.

“What? How long did you know?”

Lena scoffed and poured another drink. “I found out the day I killed my brother.” Lena knocked the drink back, immediately pouring another.

Kara rocked back, confused.

“Lena, you didn’t kill Lex. I did. I watched him fall to the ground.”

Lena turned around to face Kara, her eyes red rimmed, the glass of scotch swirling in front of her.

“Yes, he fell, but did you see him die? Lex used his trans matter portal watch. I knew he’d escape his fight with you before you won. So, I was waiting in the cabin for him. I could feel the wight of the loaded gun in my hands. I didn’t want to, but I knew it had to be done. Lex wouldn’t leave any of you alone. None of you would be safe, the world wouldn’t be safe. So, I pulled the trigger. I shot my own brother in the chest.

His final words to me were that I was a fool. That my best friend, that every friend I had was lying to me. With his dying breath, he told me you were Supergirl.”

Kara’s face paled as Lena’s words sank in.

“Lena- “ Kara’s voice broke as she stepped forward, pain flashing across her face as Lena stepped back “You have to believe me, I never meant to humiliate you.”

Lena shook her head and let her walls down, not able to stop herself anymore.

“No, when I came to this city I promised myself that I would never trust anyone again and then…then I met you. You chipped away at my armor with your warmth and your earnestness and you convinced me to trust in people and friendship again, and against my better judgment, I did. I told you how much I was hurt by betrayal. I confided in you that everyone in my past had betrayed me and how much it hurt to have someone you love lie to you and betray you. Over and over I told you, essentially BEGGING you not to violate my trust. You assured me that you would never lie to me; that you’d never hurt me. All the while there wasn’t a single honest moment in our friendship. Tell me, Kara, how am I supposed to just talk this out with you?”

Kara knew she was crying, her tears silent as she stepped forward again, wanting to comfort Lena.

“No, no that’s not true- “

Kara flinched as Lena tossed her glass to the side, sending it into the wall over the counter and shattering, pieces flying through the kitchen.

“No, I killed my brother for YOU. For our friends! Don’t you understand?!”

Lena choked back a sob, walking out of her kitchen and into the living room, wrapping her arms around herself and getting further away from Kara. She heard the shuffle of feet coming towards her, and she stiffened, ready to push back.

A single word echoed through Lena’s head, and a chill went up her spine.

The skittering of claws made Lena’s head jerk up, her stomach dropping as she caught sight of Asteria running down the hall towards them, moving so fast she was nothing but a black streak.

With a growl and puff of smoke, Asteria skidded to a stop between Kara and Lena, her eyes nearly glowing purple as she stared down Kara.

**“NO!”**

Lena felt her entire body grow cold as she looked down from her dragon then up to Kara. Silence echoed through the apartment, the only movement was Asteria’s tail flicking back and forth, a small stream of smoke rising from her nose.

Kara’s head rose, her mouth open in shock. Pointing down at Asteria, she finally broke, staring at Lena.

“What. Is. That.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Asteria couldn't stay out of it....sorry for leaving it on a cliffhanger too.
> 
> Also, I need some input. I'm torn on how Asteria is going to refer to Lena... I have three ideas and I need help deciding.  
> So I was thinking she could refer to her as either  
> My Lena  
> my mistress(though it seems slightly kinky so i'm not sure)  
> or..  
> my mother?


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been a while....I'll write a proper explanation at the end notes. Also if you read my other WIP, I'm going to be posting the exact hiatus explanation in it, so you won't need to read it twice, if you even read it the first time.
> 
> There was a little Irish in this chapter, just some cute things. I ended up not doing more later on mostly due to my rush to actually get this typed and posted before I ran out of inspiration and time.  
> ceann beag-- small one  
> máthair -- mother

* * *

Even through her fear and shock, Lena had to admit Asteria was very intimidating, even though she was the size of a large cat. She stood between Lena and Kara, her black scales shimmering down her body, her wings half extended, her back arched, and her tail flicking behind her. Lena was almost sure Asteria’s eyes were glowing bright purple even as a small stream of smoke rose from her mouth with every breath.

“Leave my mama alone.”

Lena’s eyes grew wide at hearing Asteria again. Her childlike voice echoed inside Lena’s living room and the woman tried to process what she was hearing.

“Your mama?” Kara’s voice wavered as she stepped back, blue eyes flashing between Lena and Asteria, trying to make sense.

Lena stepped forward and picked up Asteria and cuddled her close, feeling an overwhelming urge to protect the little dragon that just called her mama.

“I told you to stay hidden, _ceann beag_ ” Lena softly spoke, nuzzling against Asteria.

With a low, pleased growl Lena got her response, the childlike voice now in her head. “My máthair was hurting. I need to protect! I don’t like you being sad.”

Lena felt her eyes burn as tears threatened to spill. Lena squeezed just a little tighter, pouring her love into the embrace. She could still feel Kara watching them though, and the impending conversation made her concerned for the future of her dragon.

Not letting go of Asteria, Lena lifter her head and stared hard at Kara, letting her protective nature fill the air between them. “Kara, I would like you to formally meet Asteria, my dragon.”

Kara’s shock was evident on her face as she rocked back on her heels. “Your dragon? That’s not possible. Dragon’s don’t exist on earth, well not anymore. They’re almost extinct in the entire universe.”

Lena felt a small pang of sadness at the thought of such creatures no longer existing. Squaring her shoulders, she stared Kara down. “I awoke Asteria from her egg. She’s been dormant for nearly two thousand years.”

Kara shook her head ever so slightly. “Lena, I have to let the DEO know about this! There is a reason that dragons are viewed as mythical beasts. They are just as indestructible as the Kryptonian race, if not more. They have the advantage of magic to help protect them.”

Asteria growled from her place in Lena’s arms. Lena smirked as she glanced down to her dragon. “Firstly, her name is Asteria. Secondly, she is no ‘beast’. Lastly, you will not go to the DEO about this. They will not be allowed to take her and study her or lock her away. I will continue to raise her and if you dare to fight me on this, you will have a war on your hands.”

Kara opened her mouth to argue, only to shut it with a click of her teeth as she saw how serious Lena was. Turning away from them, Kara began to pace, running a hand through her hair and muttering in her native language. Coming to a stop in front of Lena, Kara took a deep breath before delivering her counter argument.

“How about this, I tell the DEO, on my promise as Supergirl, that you be allowed to conduct your own studies as you see fit and provide periodic updates. You can keep Asteria with no interference.”

Lena face hardened with every word. “No.”

Kara spluttered, confused with the immediate denial. “No? Why?

Lena took a step back, her face screwing up with disbelief. “For that deal to work, I would have to trust you and the DEO. In case you’ve forgotten, we were just fighting about your lack of trust in me and how you’ve completely made a fool of me for trusting you whole heartedly. Why should I then trust you to protect the ONLY good thing in my life? The only thing you can do for us, Kara, is to leave us alone.”

Hurt flashed across Kara’s face, followed quickly by guilt. Hanging her head Kara deflated in front of Lena.

“You’re right. I know I’ve apologized for that and I know it will never be enough to erase all the pain I’ve caused you. I won’t tell the DEO. See this is a step towards me trying to fix things. I’m putting my trust in you. I trust that you’ll be able to take care of the dragon and do what’s best. I’m grateful you’re even trusting me enough to let me keep my word about helping you keep Asteria a secret. I really am sorry. I never meant for you to get hurt. I’m going to leave you alone, I promise. If you need my help though, just call. I’ll always come.”

Kara backed up, giving Lena time to say anything. When no answer came, Kara nodded and turned to the door, leaving Lena and Asteria alone again.

Lena stood in the silence of her apartment, trying to understand the mass of emotions swirling through her. Choosing to focus on one thing at a time, Lena looked down at Asteria, finding the little dragon looking up at her.

“Since when can you talk?”

Asteria gave what Lena could only describe as a shrug. “Since mama was in trouble. I didn’t need to talk until now.”

Lena laughed and hugged Asteria close and flopped ungracefully onto the couch, the little dragon trilling as she received cuddles with her mama. “What am I going to do with you my little troublemaker?”

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Lena goes days without hearing from Kara. She’s given the space she asked for and Lena somehow feels slightly guilty, knowing Kara was hurting when she left. Considering Asteria was currently dozing in her nest upside down in the sunlight in the corner of Lena’s office, Kara kept her promise.

Currently though, Lena stared down at the book sitting on her desk. Lena had returned from a meeting with the R&D lab scientists to find a stack of paperwork on her desk needing her signature. She worked her way through it, only to lift the last page and find the book on the bottom. The leather-bound journal had a dragon stamped into the cover and Lena was slightly reluctant to open it. Only one person had access to her office that knew Asteria’s true nature.

Reaching forward slowly, Lena turned open the cover, her fingers sliding over the soft leather. On the front page there was a note written in a familiar handwriting.

_“Lena,_

_This is everything available to me about dragons. I searched through my own databanks as well as every alien culture we have on file. All in secret though. I hope this helps you._

_XO,_

_Kara”_

Lena flipped through the notebook, taking in Kara’s detailed writing of a dragon’s life expectancy, growth timeline and possible abilities. Lena pause on a page, the words catching her eye.

_“Dragons are believed to be some of the wisest creatures in the universe as they have access to the knowledge of their ancestors. Their knowledge of past events, languages, and occasionally future events possibly stem from the magic used to help create them.”_

Lena glanced back at Asteria, taking in how the little dragon was sleeping and remembering how often she watches Asteria chase her own shadow.

“Yes, such a wise creature.” Lena closed the book with a restrained snort of laughter and placed it in her purse, ready to head home for the day.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Ever since Asteria’s ability to talk was awakened, Lena learned that Asteria loved to talk. She continued to learn and grow her mental capabilities at an astonishing rate as well. In just two months, Asteria had easily adapted to speaking in full sentences. Each morning Lena woke to Asteria bouncing on the bed, rambling about her dreams or memories from her ancestors.

Lena had grown used to Asteria’s excited awakenings, so when Lena woke on her own on this particular Sunday morning, she was immediately worried. Shooting up in bed, Lena glanced around the room, her body relaxing with relief as she spotted Asteria sitting on the edge of her side of the bed, staring out the window.

“What’s on your mind, Asteria?” Lena asked, throwing the covers back and making her way around the bed to sit next to the little dragon.

“I had another memory last night.” Asteria glanced to Lena, her purple eyes shining brightly in the morning light.

“Was it a bad memory?” Lena reached out, running her hand down Asteria’s back.

Asteria just shook her head, turning back to the window. Lena continued to stroke Asteria, knowing she’d open up when she was ready.

Nearly five minutes went by before Asteria sighed and turned away from the window, facing Lena fully.

“Mama, why can’t I fly?”

Lena felt her heart constrict as she heard Asteria’s broken voice. Reaching for her dragon, Lena pulled her close, hugging Asteria into her chest.

“Oh, little one. Have you tried? You’re still so young, and you haven’t needed to fly before now.”

Asteria nuzzled closer, comforted by Lena. “No, I just had memories of flying high in the sky, feeling free. I want to feel that.”

Lena leaned down and kissed the top of Asteria’s head. “I guess I need to finish that toy I started on for you.”

Asteria’s head whipped up, her tail flashing side to side. “A toy? What kind of toy?”

Lena laughed, standing with Asteria. Walking towards her office, she turned on the light as she walked in.

“I started making you a toy to chase and work on stretching your wings. You hadn’t shown any interest in flying yet, so I wasn’t too focused on finishing it just yet. Give me a few days, my dear, and I’ll have it done.”

Lena set Asteria down near her nest and went to sit behind the desk, intending to see just how much further she’d need before it was ready. Lena found herself getting lost for a few hours in the project and before she knew it, she was deep into the building process.

“If I change the center piece into a sturdy rubber, it should hold up under extreme conditions and remain light enough to allow the entire thing to stay airborne.” Lena mumbled to herself as she wrote down calculations on the blueprints next to her.

Setting the pencil down, Lena looked over the notes and compared them to the prototype she had sitting on the desk. With a smile, Lena turned to Asteria, interrupting the dragon from chewing on a leftover bone from the night before.

“What do you say about a trip to my lab. I may have figured out a way to get this done tonight.”

Asteria jumped up from her nest, the bone dropping to the floor as she ran out of the room, her wings flapping excitedly.

“Let’s go, mama!”

Lena laughed as she stood from the desk, going back to her bedroom to get dressed.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

It had been a quite Sunday for both Kara and Supergirl. Kara found herself pacing her apartment, feeling restless and angry, but she didn’t understand why. Stepping past her couch, Kara paused as the evening sun caught her eye and she felt a warmth rise in her chest. Taking a sign for what it was, Kara sighed and sat on the floor of her apartment, in the fading rays of light.

Legs crossed, Kara closed her eyes and breathed deeply, shutting out the world around her as she focused in on herself. With a slight waver, Kara rose from the floor, floating in the middle of her apartment and let herself drift inside her mind.

Using the same technique she learned on Krypton, Kara focused on her emotions, visualizing each one as a glowing string. With determined focus, Kara fought to separate each emotion, not allowing them to overlap. Feeling the mental strain, Kara let go of the focus, letting the now untangled emotions float in the back of her mind.

Now that she was sorted, Kara could focus on one emotion at a time, finding the source of why she was feeling the way she was.

Mentally reaching for the first one, Kara had just grabbed on when a voice cut through her concentration.

“KARA! HELP!”

Kara jerked back to consciousness and fell from her place in the air, catching herself just before she fell hard and through the floor. Blinking to adjust to the world around her again, Kara turned her head towards where the voice came from, her mind fuzzy as she worked on brining herself back.

Finding a black shape standing on the small balcony, wavering where it stood, Kara jumped up from the floor, rushing to open the window.

“Asteria, what are you doing here?”

Asteria rushed into the apartment, her entire body glowing with sweat and her small body panting with effort.

“We got to go. I need your help.”

Kara felt a knot of anxiety form in her chest.

“Asteria, what is wrong? How did you even find me?”

Asteria growled, pacing in front of Kara.

“I smelled you. It doesn’t matter, we need to go now! Mama’s been taken and she’s hurt!”

Kara felt the cold fear flood her veins, her face falling. She threw her glasses off and as the suit materialized around her, stepping in close to Asteria.

“What happened? Can you show me?”

Asteria nodded and stepped closer to Kara, meeting the woman’s outstretched hand. With only a moment to connect herself with Kara, Asteria opened her mind into Kara’s flooding the woman’s mind with her memories of the event.

*flashback*

_Lena had perfected the toy for Asteria. Tossing it in the air, she watched as it darted around the room, the preloaded configurations allowing it to avoid hitting anything. Lena’s eyes nearly hurt as she followed the toy zooming around the room, its flight path changing randomly, allowing Asteria to work on controlling her flight and reaction times. Looking down, Lena smiled as she noticed Asteria shifting and tracking the toy her eyes wide._

_Lena had decided to disguise the toy as a small bird, the outer shell was even covered with feathers. Lena figured it would help trigger Asteria’s natural instinct to hunt, and watching her dragon next to her, Lena was glad to know she was right._

_“If you catch it, preferably without destroying the apartment, I’ll let you decide what we eat for dinner tonight, within reason of course.”_

_Lena received a fleeting glance and a happy trill from Asteria before the little dragon was off, rushing after the toy as it flew low to the ground. Asteria stumbled as she snapped at the toy, only for it to change directions and go into the air and out of her reach. With a determined look on her face, Lena watched as Asteria flapped her wings as she ran and pushed herself off the floor._

_Holding back her yells of encouragement, Lena watched as Asteria stayed airborne for a moment before tumbling back down to the floor, rolling past the couch in a ball of tail and wings. Coming to a stop in the middle of the rug, Asteria huffed in annoyance._

_“That was good for a first try.” Lena encouraged from her place on the couch, trying hard not to laugh as Asteria shot her a look._

_With a fire lit inside her, Asteria rose and looked around, catching sight of the toy still flying around. With a bigger running start, Asteria launched herself further up, her wings flapping rapidly as she learned how to properly use them._

_Lena knew the smile never left her face as she watched Asteria try to catch the toy again and again, each time she launched into the air she’d stay in flight longer. After nearly two hours, Lena’s smile grew as Asteria seemed to fully grasp her wings. With a triumphant yell, Asteria glided around the top of the apartment, banking side to side as she finally understood how to fly properly._

_Setting her sights on the toy, Asteria darted around the apartment, only knocking over one picture frame in the process. Nearly twenty minutes went by with near misses before Asteria decided to try one final time, a fierce look on her face as she focused on the toy coming towards her. Tucking her wings in and straightening her body, Asteria shot from her place above the bird, diving directly down on top of it._

_With a crash as she hid the floor, Asteria rolled across the apartment, stopping at the edge of the rug in the living room near Lena._

_With a triumphant squeal, Asteria stood and bounced in circles, the bird clenched firmly in her mouth._

_“I did it! I did it! Look mama, I caught it!”_

_Lena laughed and jumped up, rushing to Asteria. “I’m so proud of you! You can fly and you even caught your first prey.”_

_Asteria pushed herself up and landed in Lena’s arms, dropping the bird in Lena’s hand. “I want chicken now. From your friend that soaks it in that special sauce before he gives it to you.”_

_Lena nodded, the smile on her face becoming a permanent fixture._

_“Of course. Go grab your collar and I’ll call him.”_

_Asteria launched herself out of Lena’s arms, gliding down behind the couch and running down the hallway. Lena laughed as she took her phone out, dialing the number to her connection at a local butcher shop._

_Placing her order, Lena made her way to the doorway, setting the now turned off toy down on the counter. Lena reached for the leash hanging next to the door, only to freeze as her world went dark._

_Blinking to adjust to the lack of light, Lena spun around, putting her back to the wall. The little light left from the setting sun shone through the bay windows, allowing Lena to make out the empty apartment. After a few moments with no movement, Lena made her way to the balcony, stepping out to see if it was just her apartment without power, or if other windows were dark._

_Finding the floors below her dark as well, Lena relaxed some, turning to continue grabbing her things to take Asteria out for her treat._

_Instead of entering her apartment though, Lena froze as she found herself face to face with a man, his entire outfit a dull matte black, his face covered with a mask connected to his shirt. Behind him a rope swung in the light breeze and Lena knew she had made a stupid mistake._

_Stepping back, she reached behind her for anything she could grab to fight him off, knowing she wasn’t going to make herself an easy target._

_“Don’t be stupid, Lena. I don’t really want to hurt you, but I will if you test me.”_

_Lena froze as the man stepped forward and grabbed her arm, pulling her back towards the rope hanging between them and her balcony doors. With a grunt and show of strength, Lena threw her other elbow up and back, feeling satisfied as she heard a crunch._

_Lena didn’t hesitate as she was released with a yell of pain. Rushing inside, Lena ran directly to her phone where she had set it on the counter next to the leash to go investigate the outage. Wrapping her hand around it, Lena unlocked the phone quickly and opened her contacts, knowing she’d hate eating crow later, she pulled up Kara’s name._

_Before she could hit call, Lena yelled as a sharp pain shot up her neck. Reaching up, she felt the cold metal of a dart sticking out from her neck. Lena felt herself sway as she jerked it out of her neck, dropping it to the floor along with her phone as her hands went numb._

_Turning around, Lena stumbled forward not totally clear on what was happening anymore. She felt the edges of her vision blur and she fought against the growing blackness._

_A growl cut through the apartment and Lena felt her vision clear with a surge of adrenaline. “Asteria, no!”_

_Lena’s plea fell short as a dark blur shot out from the hallway towards the man currently standing in the doorway to the balcony. Lena watched as he turned with a nearly inhuman speed. Lena flinched as Asteria yelped, dropping to the floor in the middle of the apartment, a metal dark protruding from her chest._

_Lena stumbled forward, intending to reach Asteria. Lena fought through the darkness invading her vision as she saw Asteria stumble to the side, falling over completely._

_Lena forced herself to take a few steps, her feet feeling heavy as she swayed side to side. Lena felt it as her body shut down, her ability to continue forward stopping with a final stumble forward. Lena saw the edge of the couch arm coming into her vision before her entire world went dark._

_With a sigh, the man walked further into the apartment, coming to a stop over Lena’s limp body. Holstering the gun, he bent down, grabbing Lena by the arm and hoisting her up, throwing her over his shoulder. Glancing down at the pool of blood that had started to gather on the floor, he shook his head as he carried Lena back out to the balcony._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok I know I'm horrible for leaving it on a cliffhanger, especially since I'm slow to update right now. But! I have already wrote a few pages of the next chapter so I may be able to post sooner....I hope. I've been able to write in a notebook, the problem is getting time to type it out.
> 
> Hiatus explanation:  
> Hey guys. I know it's been a hot minute since I've updated. I want to apologize. I'm going to give a long but short overview.  
> So, the job I've been at for the past 2 and a half years, I no longer have. The hospital got bought out and decided to contract with another ambulance service. So for most of November and the first half of December, I didn't know what my career status would be. I was so stressed about that, that I couldn't focus on anything else.  
> Then I got offered the only position available in dispatch with the new ambulance company. Cut to the middle of December and I was so emotional having to say goodbye to these people I had grown so close with.  
> Since then, It's been a whirlwind of me adjusting to this new job. I have to travel a little, I'm not allowed my phone or anything while I'm training. I do get my notebook, but this company services such a larger area, I'm so freaking busy I only get a few hours of down time collectively during my 12 hour shift. My days off are spent being so dead-headed from the information overload I'm experiencing.
> 
> So this is my apology for taking so long to update, and an apology for the future since updates will be very SLOW.
> 
> If you're still here after this long, I LOVE Y'ALL. Thank you for being patient with me, and please please continue to be patient.  
> <3


	4. The Great Dragons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey look! I did a chapter!!!  
> Turns out, I can hand write things in a notebook at work... so I'm making progress. I'm not allowed my computer so, while I am writing things...I now have to copy them over to a word document...which takes me two months apparently.
> 
> so enjoy!  
> Also, the only word you need to know is Kara says "Little one" in Kryptonian.

* * *

All Lena knew was pain and darkness. The last thing she could remember was her head hitting the arm of her couch, then nothing. With a groan, Lena rolled over, wincing as pain shot through her shoulder and side, her mind swirling with dizziness, keeping her from opening her eyes as she tried to stay conscious. Reaching up, Lena pressed her fingertips to her head, feeling the stickiness of drying blood on her forehead.

Lena wasn’t sure how much time had passed since she was taken from her apartment. She wasn’t sure where she was or if Asteria had been taken with her. Forcing herself to take a deep breath, ignoring the sharp pain in her chest as she did, she focused on the things she did know to calm herself down.

She knew she was laying on a concrete floor, the cold, hard ground under her being a dead giveaway. The sharp pain in her side made her think her ribs were either bruised or fractured. She was still able to move her arms, so her shoulder wasn’t broken.

Forcing her eyes open, she waited as she adjusted to the darkness, the dizziness fading. Slowly, Lena was able to make out a faint red glow flashing from across the room. Lena realized the light was coming from a camera on the ceiling, allowing her captor to keep an eye on her. The flashes of light allow her to make out a dark rectangular shape on the floor nearby, possibly a mattress. She was also able to tell the room she was in was small, her arms and legs would be almost long enough to touch both walls at the same time.

Lena took a deep breath and pushed herself up and back, leaning against the wall. Feeling a tugging sensation on her chest Lena reached down, finding round electrodes attached to her chest. Lena followed the cord attached down her chest and under her breasts, wrapping around her body. In the center of her chest, Lena could feel a small box that the wires were connecting to, possibly some type of power source.

Grabbing one of the electrodes, Lena pulled at the tape, intending to take the offending equipment off. With a yelp, Lena quickly let go of the electrode, shaking her hand at the sudden shock she received. Whatever they were doing with the machine attached to her, her captors had a failsafe in place. She wasn’t able to remove the electrodes without electrocuting herself.

Lena dropped her hand into her lap and leaned her head back against the wall. Mentally Lena went over her situation. Her captors were definitely professional, possibly even military trained based on shooting ability and reaction time. She didn’t know what they wanted yet, and they obviously were smart enough to know if they didn’t install a failsafe on the monitor on her chest, that she would find a way to use it to her advantage.

Resolving herself to waiting until her kidnappers returned, Lena closed her eyes and rested her body, knowing she’d need her strength for the future.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kara flew over National city, her ears trained for Lena’s heartbeat. When Asteria had shown up at her apartment two hours ago, Kara had left Asteria and flew straight to Lena’s apartment where she found two tranquilizer darts and a small pool of blood next to the couch. Kara immediately began searching National City, each pass she made caused her frustration to grow.

With every minute that went by with no sign of Lena, Kara blamed herself more and more. She should have known something was wrong. She had been giving Lena the space she asked for and had stopped listening in on her heartbeat. By doing so, she left Lena completely unprotected.

Kara flew back towards her apartment and stopped, hovering in the sky. She could see Asteria on the roof, pacing and looking out over the city. Allowing herself to descend, Kara touched down near the clearly anxious dragon. She hated that she had left Asteria behind, but the dragon had just started learning how to fly and had nearly collapsed from pushing herself too hard to get to Kara’s apartment.

“I can’t hear her anywhere. Asteria, I know Lena warned you against the DEO and I promised her I wouldn’t bring them in, but I need help. Let me call Alex. She can gather the evidence from the apartment and work as our connection with the DEO. We’ll keep you out of any reports.”

With a sigh of defeat, Asteria nodded, her body sagging.

“I just want my mama back.”

Kara fought the urge to pick up the dragon and comfort her at the sound of such a broken voice. Instead, she pulled out her phone and called Alex, giving her a vague explanation then hanging up.

“She’s going to meet us at the apartment. Do you mind if I carry you back? I’m worried if you try to fly that distance again, you’re going to fall out of the sky.”

With a weary sigh, Asteria nodded and allowed Kara to pick her up and fly them back to Lena’s apartment. Once inside, Asteria shuffled over to her net in the corner, her tail dragging on the floor behind her.

Kara decided to pace the balcony outside while she waited for Alex, her ears trained on the city for any whispers about Lena. Nearly twenty minutes later, Kara heard the door to the apartment open, and for just a second, she believed it to be Lena until Alex’s voice echoed through the silence.

“Alright, I’m here Kara. What’s going on?”

Kara stepped back inside as Alex put her case down on the kitchen island, opening it up to start getting what she needed to bag evidence.

“Lena was kidnapped. Only one, a professional, and so far no demands. It’s been about three hours since the abduction. I spent two hours searching the city. She would have been unconscious for about an hour so they couldn’t have made it too far, unless they gave her more drugs.”

Alex’s eyebrows scrunched together as she listened to Kara’s report. Glancing quickly around she took note of the blood and the two darts on the floor.

“How do you know it was only one man and how long those darts worked for?”

“Asteria showed me.” Kara told her, tensing as she prepared for the questions and possible yelling.

Alex’s face screwed up in confusion.

“Who is Asteria, and how did they show you?”

Kara opened her mouth to explain, only to be cut off by the childlike voice of the so far silent dragon.

“I’m Asteria, and I showed Kara my memories.”

Alex’s eyes widened as Asteria rose from her nest, having disappeared in the dark corner of the apartment. She now came forward, her movements slow, her head hanging and her tail dragging behind her.

“Kara, is that what I think it is?”

Alex pointed at Asteria, turning to Kara in shock.

A huff of annoyance came from Asteria.

“I’m not a ‘that’ or an ‘it’. I’m a dragon and my name is Asteria. We need your help to find my mama. Can you help us or not?”

Asteria stepped forward, rising up and allowing herself to look confident and larger than what she was just moments before.

Alex just stared at Asteria for a moment, her mouth slightly dropped open. Nodding, she swallowed and gathered herself, holding up a finger to Aster.

“Yes, I’ll help. Firstly,” Alex turned to Kara and took long steps across the space between them, taking her finger and poking Kara in the chest.

“A dragon?! Seriously Kara? You and Lena have been hiding a dragon? It needs to be-“Alex paused as a growl echoed around them. Wincing, Alex threw an apologetic glance at Asteria before backtracking. “Sorry, SHE needs to be documented and the DEO needs to be aware of a potential danger.”

Kara shook her head and stood straighter, placing her hands on her hips.

“Asteria isn’t a danger and she’s not going to the DEO. She’s not being mentioned at all. I’ve given my word.”

Alex continued to stare down Kara, realizing she was in her Supergirl persona. “You’re serious about this.”

Kara just nodded, staring back at Alex.

Alex finally sighed, her shoulders dropping in defeat. “Fine, but this is entirely on you. She’s your responsibility.”

Kara cracked a smile and dropped her arms. “Actually, she’s Lena’s responsibility.”

Alex scoffed, going back to her case in the kitchen. “Ok smartass. I’m going to get whatever evidence I can, then head back to start analyzing. Just lay low and I’ll call you soon.”

Kara let Alex get to work, leaving her and Asteria standing off to the side.

“I guess until we get Lena back, you can stay with me. Do you want me to get anything to make this easier?”

Asteria nodded and made her way into Lena’s bedroom, sitting near the bed.

“Can we bring the purple blanket and pillow?”

Kara nodded and folded the blanket and pillow up together. Tucking it under her arm she came around the bed, looking for Asteria.

“Anything else- oh.”

Kara stopped as she found Asteria sitting next to a little net near the bathroom door, a white dragon plush in her mouth.

“Mama bought me this after I told her about a memory I had. An ancestor of mine was this white dragon and the human she chose, looked like mama. Their memories made me sad. They lived a tortured life, death and pain were constant in their lives.

“I saw a small child with one of these and it made me happy, so mama got me one.”

The voice in Kara’s head broke with barely restrained emotion, the purple eyes staring up at her glistened with sadness.

Kara fought the tears in her eyes, just nodding instead of trusting her voice. Stepping forward, she picked up Asteria with her free arm and cuddled her close, heading back out of the bedroom and out the balcony, leaving Alex to finish up.

~~~~~~~

Landing back in her apartment, Kara set Asteria down and walked over to her bed, setting the pillow and blanket down at the end.

“Are you comfortable sleeping in the bd, or would you rather make your own nest?”

Asteria glanced around the apartment and then back to Kara.

“Bed is fine. You’re going to find my mama and I’ll go back home.”

Asteria jumped up to the bed and went about making a temporary nest at the foot of the bed, crawling inside the pillow with her dragon plush. Kara was torn between wanting to tear up and smile at how cute Asteria looked. She could barely make out the dragon, her purple eyes being basically the only thing she could see.

“I will get her back. We’re going to sleep for now and will get back out there once Alex calls. We can’t help Lena if we’re exhausted.”

Only receiving a nod in response, Kara went and got changed, laying down on her side of the bed. The silence of the apartment was unnerving to Kara tonight. She felt like she should be out searching for Lena, but she knew if she didn’t at least rest her body some, she would be useless when the time came to actually save Lena.

Nearly an hour passed, and Kara had decided to just lay in bed and focus her hearing on the city, mentally going through the city, street by street. Kara had reached only a few blocks away when she heard a soft whine and sniff. Cracking her eyes open, she looked down at the end of the bed.

“Asteria?”

The lump of pillow and blanket shifted and Asteria poked her head out, iridescent tear tracks staining her face.

“I miss mama.”

Kara’s heart shattered and she opened her arms, the little dragon scurrying across the bed to curl into Kara’s chest.

“I know _kir chahv_. I promise to Rao I will not stop until I’ve found her, and may Rao have mercy on her captors when I find them.”

Kara tightened her arms around Asteria, stroking at the dragon’s back slightly.

“In all of your memories you’ve accessed, have any of your ancestors known about Krypton?”

Asteria pulled her head up and looked at Kara, shaking her head.

Kara smiled and guided Asteria’s head back down, stroking it to relax the little dragon.

“Then let me tell you a story my mom told me about The Great Dragons that once roamed Krypton…”

Kara continued to pet Asteria as she launched into her story, her words weaving into the quiet apartment. Kara glanced down, smiling at the now sleeping dragon in her arms. Trailing off, Kara closed her eyes, the time between her pets growing longer and longer until she grew still sleep finally overtaking her.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lena jerked awake at the sound of the door opening, her body protesting at sleeping upright. Shielding her eyes from the bright light now invading the room, Lena curled her legs in, making herself smaller.

“Come with me.”

Lena blinked rapidly, her eyes finally adjusting to the light. Dropping her hand, she squinted up at the man standing in the doorway.

“Why should I?”

The man stood still for a moment before stepping in further, grabbing Lena by the arms and picking her up like she weighed nothing.

“Put me down!” Lena yelled, kicking out at her kidnapper.

He stopped just at the doorway, setting her on her own feet. “Walk, or I carry you.”

With a hand wrapped around her arm, Lena was led out into a hallway, glass windows giving her glimpses into unused labs, the dust and sheets covering equipment telling her nobody had been there in a while.

Lena was led to a room with a camera and two chairs, the entire set up looking like she was about to sit down for an interview. The grip on her arm didn’t loosen until she was placed in the chair, a clicking noise echoing in the otherwise quiet room.

The man stepped around the camera, pressing a few buttons before a red blinking light appeared at the top. Taking a seat across from her, he leaned forward onto his legs, his hands interlocking in front of him.

“Your brother killed a lot of good people. Your mother attempted complete genocide of Aliens. You’ve been questioned in relation to many illegal activities, yet Supergirl always sems to get you out of things. It’s time you answer to your crimes. No more hiding.

“Your chair is on a pressure sensor. If you try to leave before we’re done, it will set off the electrodes attached to you that are currently masking your heartbeat. I don’t plan on killing you, but plans can change. Answer my questions, then let me leave. When you hear a long beep and a click, you’ll be free to go.”

Lena stared at the man in front of her, taking in his short, military style cut, brown hair. His brown eyes looked haunted and Lena knew she didn’t stand a chance against his strength. Choosing to stay silent as her only act of defiance, Lena just lifted an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue.

The man grinned and started his questions.

“Let me start simple. Are you Lena Luthor?”

Lena leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Have you ever given money to an organization?”

Again, Lena remained silent. The grin began to fall from the man’s face.

“Have you ever conducted off the book experiments?”

Lena clenched her jaw, wondering how long this would last.

The man smiled suddenly, sitting back and mirroring her pose, suddenly seeming smug.

“Who was Adam?

Lena knew the color drained from her face. Her body felt cold with nerves, guilt and regret flooding her system.

The man let out a humorless chuckle. “Now we’ve got a reaction. Let me elaborate for the camera. Adam was part of an illegal experiment, and Lena here killed him and covered it up. All for what? The ability to be Super? Your mother and brother thought aliens didn’t belong here, meanwhile you killed your own kind to do what? Become a God?” The man said gesturing wildly as he spoke.

Lena felt her face harden into a mask as he spoke.

“Adam knew the risks. He signed a waiver and I even wanted to cancel the experiment. He wanted to continue. He knew I wanted to make this serum to heal the sick. The addition of some powers were a possible, temporary side effect. I never planned to use it on myself.” Lena sat forward, her face flush with restrained anger.

The man’s grin grew as he leaned forward, mirroring Lena’s pose again.

“Not only have you killed, Lena, you’ve stolen from friends. You’ve lied to the police and the public. Worst of all, you’ve committed fraternize. You killed your own brother in cold blood. I’d say you’re probably the most dangerous Luthor of all. You operate in the shadows. Your brother was obvious with his hatred. Your mother nearly launched a war. You choose to stay silent and play the good Luthor card. You hide behind the Luthor’s Family hospital and fundraisers for shelters. Do you deny any of it?”

Lena sized up the man in front of her, so many thoughts running through her head.

“What I want to know is where you got all these stories from. Are you just crazy, or do you just want to see all the Luthors behind bars so badly you’ll try to come up with your own stories?”

Lena glanced down as the man reached into his pocket and pulled out a small remote, his face reddening slightly. With a quick flick of his thumb across a button, Lena heard a short beep coming from the box on her chest and her world shook and a yell tore from her as electricity coursed through her body, the few seconds of pain felt like hours. Another beep signaled the end and Lena slumped down in the seat, her breath heavy in the otherwise silent room.

“You don’t get to ask the questions. I do. Now, where did you store the formula for your serum?”

Lena shook her head and scoffed, lifting herself back into her chair properly.

“I destroyed it. After what Lex did with it, and it nearly killing James, I realized it was too dangerous. The only formula left is up here.” Lena tapped her head, this time her smile matching his.

The grin on his face dropped suddenly and he jumped up, the chair falling backwards as his face flushed red in anger.

“Why do you Luthors get to play God and get away with killing the ones we love!?”

Lena narrowed her eyes and leaned forward onto her legs as her mind began to spin with sudden thoughts.

“Who was it? My mother or brother killed someone you loved. The only death on my hands is Adam, and he consented to the possibility.”

The man stiffened, his entire body rigid with fury.

“You don’t get to know that. You don’t get that satisfaction. You were raised by that monster; I know she influenced you both on how she feels about aliens. You claim to want to help the world, yet your hospitals aren’t alien friendly. You’re inadvertently killing them off!”

The man turned away abruptly, kicking out and sending the overturned chair scraping across the floor.

Lena remained silent as she took in this man’s words, emotions and body language.

“You mentioned both the Luthor family hospital. I’m guessing my mother is responsible for the death of your family. Your partner and child perhaps? I’m not her, nor am I my brother. I don’t hold their same beliefs; my track record should reflect that. Don’t hold me responsible for their psychopathic tendencies. Surely that’s not what your family would’ve wanted?”

Lena pleaded with him, hoping to break through to his humanity. Instead, she felt fear as he turned towards her finally, his eyes filled with rage and unshed tears. Lena flinched as a fist came towards her, the impact against her jaw sent her out of her chair and light to flash behind her eyes, a beeping beginning to come from the box on her chest, rapidly gaining speed.

“You don’t get to talk about them! My wife and daughter are dead because of you!” Lena heard the final beep half a second before the pain hit her, a scream tearing from her throat as her body seized up, all thoughts leaving her mind.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kara jerked awake, her ears ringing and heart pounding. Reaching for her phone, she carefully tried to grab it and not disturb Asteria from her place at Kara’s side.

“Alex, what did you find?”

Kara could hear Alex loading a weapon as she started speaking.

“The tranquilizer darts were our break. Video surveillance of Lena’s apartment complex shows a man taking an elevator to the top floor. Security didn’t recognize his picture, and we have no video of him leaving. After running his face in the database, we got a name. Sgt. Mike Chambers. We did some more digging and the residual drug in the darts matches the same one in our database from a Cadmus lab we closed. Lillian had been using it as a front for an alien clinic. We think he took Lena there; he may have known someone that was affected.”

Kara carefully extracted herself from the bed and sped into her suit, putting in her earpiece.

“I’m on my way. Send me the address.”

“Kara, you’re not going to go in there and take him out by sheer force. Wait for backup so we can preserve what we can and properly take him down.”

Kara gritted her teeth but agreed. “I’ll just do a fly over and get a layout of the building. But if you’re not there in fifteen minutes, or Lena’s in danger, I’m going in.”

Kara hung up and looked down at her phone as the address came in. Stepping forward to leave, Kara was stopped as a voice echoed in her head.

“Did you find mama?”

Kara turned around, finding Asteria at the foot of the bed, nervously awaiting an answer.

“Alex thanks so, but you’re staying here.”

Asteria puffed up, her tail whipping side to side.

“No! I’m coming with you.”

Kara shook her head, standing firm.

“No. You’re staying. It’s not safe and if something happened to you, Lena would kill me. If she’s there, I promise to bring her home to you.”

Speeding away into the night sky, Kara flew towards the address, leaving Asteria growling and pacing in her apartment.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lena fought back tears as she lay on the mattress in the little room. Her entire body hurt; all of her muscles were basically useless from the extended electroshocks she’d received. She could taste blood, both from his fist striking her, and where she bit her lip to prevent herself from screaming.

Lena knew he wasn’t done, the look in his eyes unnerved Lena. He was a ghost in a living body and he no longer cared what happened so long as he got his answers, and only the ones he wanted to hear.

The door opened and Lena flopped her head to the side, no strength left in her body.

“What virus did she use?”

“I don’t know.” Lena croaked out, gritting her teeth as her body seized up, the edges of her vision becoming dark as electricity surged through her.

Lena’s body dropped back as the shock ended, giving her a moment to catch her breath.

“Why didn’t you save them?!” The man’s voice echoed in the small room as he yelled in desperation.

Lena struggled to find her voice, trying to swallow a few times.

“I… didn’t…. know.” Lena was able to croak out, her ability to stay conscious fading fast.

She wanted to plead for him to stop, but she couldn’t find the strength. Instead she waited for the next shock as she heard several beeps from across the room, wishing he’d get it over with so maybe she would pass out.

Instead she heard the door slam and the room went dark once again.

Lena let out a small sob of relief, closing her eyes and breathing freely for a moment. She just wanted to give in to the darkness. She was so tired; she was barely aware of the world around her.

When the door opened again, Lena was able to speak, her voice breaking as she screwed her eyes shut and tried to curl in on herself.

“No more… please.”

Lena felt a hand touch her arm and her eyes cracked open, blinking wearily against the light.

“Oh, Lena…”

Lena felt a surge of adrenaline as she recognized the voice. Blinking rapidly, she sighed as she was finally able to make out Kara kneeling in front of her. She let herself smile slightly, her body giving up knowing she was safe.

Lena saw as Kara scanned her body, her brow crinkling as she took in the equipment attached to Lena’s chest. Reaching for it, Lena was able to lift her hand, letting it fall onto Kara’s outstretched hand.

“Leave it… Failsafe… Hurts.”

Kara nodded and squeezed Lena’s hand, tears in her eyes. Leaning forward, she scooped Lena up and stood, cradling her close.

Lena sighed as she curled into Kara, not caring that she had been mad at her.

“You…came?” Lena forced her head back to look up at Kara, not entirely sure she was even seeing her.

Kara blinked back the tears as she walked down the hall, past the security office where Alex was going over security system and footage that Sgt. Chambers had set up.

Looking down to Lena she resisted the urge to bring her head closer. Instead she squeezed Lena just a little bit tighter.

“I will always come for you.”

Lena smiled up at Kara before allowing the darkness to take over, her body going completely limp as she fell unconscious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! saved at the end of the day....  
> Yes I know how dare I hurt Lena...but would it help if I said sorry???
> 
> Good news! I've already started on the next chapter. so hopefully it won't take as long to update.....I say hopefully. Don't hold me to any time tables lol.

**Author's Note:**

> I want a dragon :(


End file.
